Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Line-attached bodies – hooks and rigs
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-04
2003-10-21
Ark, Darren W. (Department: 3643)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Line-attached bodies, hooks and rigs
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634136
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to a downrigger line clamp mechanism used in downrigger fishing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When trolling for fish, a downrigger assembly can be used to control the depth at which the lure is trolled through the water. A downrigger typically comprises a weight suspended from the boat by a downrigger cable; and a leader line, one end of which is clipped to the downrigger cable and the other end of which is clipped to the fishing line, typically 10 to 30 feet from the lure, with a line clamp. When trolling with a downrigger, the fishing line runs substantially vertically from the fishing rod to the line clamp and substantially horizontally (depending on the trolling speed, and the drag of the lure and line) from the release clamp to the lure.
When a fish is hooked, it is necessary for the line clamp to release the fishing line so that fish can be played free of the hindrance of the weight, and brought aboard without tangling the fishing line and the cable. To operate properly, the line clamp must retain the fishing line during trolling and release the fishing line when a fish strikes the lure. Typically, persons fishing desire different line clamp release tensions depending on the fishing technique and the type of fish being sought. It is therefore advantageous to be able to adjust the line clamp release tension.
Most downrigger line clamps use a coil compression spring to bias two pivoting clamping surfaces towards a closed position wherein a fishing line may be frictionally held between the clamping surfaces. Such systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,826 (Walker, Jul. 28, 1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,349 (Walker, Sep. 14, 1999), U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,104 (Walker, Nov. 9, 1999), U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,933 (Shaw, Oct. 13, 1987), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,246 (Shaw, Nov. 17, 1992).
With the foregoing line clamps, the friction holding the fishing line between the clamping surfaces will vary depending upon the character and condition of the line as well as the specifics of the surface-to-surface contact of the clamping surfaces with the line that happen to occur in a given clamping event. In other words, for a given clamping compressive force, the force of friction will vary from one clamping event to the next, and consequently the line release force will also vary somewhat.
The pivot-based line clamps of the foregoing sort enable the person using them to vary the release tension by changing the position of the fishing line between the clamping surfaces. Specifically, a fishing line is more readily released from between the clamping surfaces if the fishing line is positioned near the ends of the clamping surfaces than if the fishing line is positioned closer to the pivot. The leverage is greater and the release tension is higher near the pivot point than they are further away from the pivot point.
It is therefore possible to make minor adjustments to the line clamp release tension by carefully positioning the fishing line between the clamping surfaces. In practice, however, such previously known pivot-type clamps are effective to provide only a fairly limited range of release tensions. Accordingly, several of these aforementioned patented systems describe additional structure and/or techniques for enabling various release tensions of the fishing line, namely by providing auxiliary means for adjusting the compression force between the clamping surfaces. In particular, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,784,826, 5,950,349, and 5,979,104 describe a cam lever adjustment assembly wherein a threaded rod is inserted through a bore through the clamping surfaces. The ends of the threaded rod protrude from the outer clamping surfaces and may be threadedly engaged by any one of a number of different types of internally threaded rod caps each of which may be tightened or loosened to vary the compression adjustment between the clamping plates. Typically, the rod caps have wings, knurled surfaces or other projections, to make it easier to turn them by hand.
One disadvantage of the aforementioned prior designs is that the compression force adjustment devices are somewhat finicky to operate, which can be a hindrance for a fisherman whose hands are already occupied with fishing line, lures, flashers, and bait, and whose hands may be somewhat greasy as a consequence.
Furthermore, the aforementioned designs do not permit a smooth flow of water over the surfaces of the line clamp. In the aforementioned designs, coil springs, thumb or wing nuts, and levers protrude beyond the body of the fishing line clamp, thereby causing turbulence around the line clamp as it passes through the water. An unbalanced line clamp or a line clamp that is not streamlined may twist the fishing line and reduce the performance of the lure. Furthermore, a fishing line may hang up the protrusions of the line clamp, thereby leading to tangled lines.
Another type of prior line clamp is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,015 (Newell et al., Jul. 13, 1999). As with the aforementioned line clamp designs, this patent describes a line clamp having two pivoted clamping plates between which a fishing line may be frictionally held. Unlike the aforementioned designs, however, rather than using a coil compression spring to clamp together the plates, the elongated clamping plates are sandwiched together by a rigid sliding clamp that slides along the outer surfaces of the elongated clamping plates from the pivot towards the ends of the plates and locks in place when the clamp is in the correct position to provide a desired clamping force.
As with the previously mentioned coil-spring-based line clamp, the line clamp described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,015 is fairly complex and expensive to manufacture; the overall shape of the line clamp is not streamlined and the sliding clamps are difficult to operate.
What is required is a simple, streamlined line clamp with a simple, easy-to-operate compression force adjustment device that enables a suitable range of release tensions of the fishing line.
SUMMARY
An object of the invention is to provide a line clamp mechanism having means for adjusting the line clamp compression force that is simple, streamlined and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. As in other previously known downrigger clamp designs, the fishing line is releasably frictionally held within the downrigger line clamp, permitting the fishing line to be pulled from the downrigger line clamp by a fish striking the lure. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pre-stressed line clamp mechanism having the following components:
(a) first and second elongate arms each made of suitable selected elastic material and each having a clamping jaw at its distal end, a compression-adjusting end at its proximal end, and an outwardly bulging arcuate grip portion intermediate the clamping jaw and the compression-adjusting end;
the second elongate arm being longitudinally generally coextensive with the first elongate arm, and oriented in opposition to the first elongate arm so that, the clamping jaws of the two arms present opposed clamping faces, preferably generally planar and generally parallel to one another, suitable for clamping a line therebetween, and the compression-adjusting ends of the two arms present opposed abutting surfaces;
(b) a coupling means such as a pivot pin or equivalent on which both the arms are pivotally mounted, to provide pivoting of the distal portions of the arms through a small angular range about a pivotal axis located near the distal ends of the arms, the clamping jaws extending distally away from the pivot pin and the grip portions extending proximally away from the pivot pin;
the outwardly-bulging grip portions of the opposed arms forming a grip that under compressive force exerted by the user's hand forces disengagement of the clamping faces to permit insertion or release of a fish line, and in rest position are stressed so as to exert a compressive force against one another at the abutting surfaces, thereby biassing the clamping jaws together toward a closed
Barrett John
Bulling Siegfried
Scott Kevin Anthony Davis
Ark Darren W.
Barrigar Robert H.
Scott Plastics Ltd.
LandOfFree
Downrigger line clamp with adjustable clamping force does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Downrigger line clamp with adjustable clamping force, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Downrigger line clamp with adjustable clamping force will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3144778